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Topic:Equine Science
Equine Science encompasses the study of horses and their management, health, and performance. This field integrates various scientific disciplines such as biology, genetics, nutrition, physiology, and veterinary medicine to understand and improve the well-being and capabilities of horses. Areas of focus include equine anatomy, reproduction, behavior, and disease prevention. Research in equine science aims to enhance horse care, optimize training and performance, and address health challenges. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine science, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in the field.
The arthroscopic and ultrasonographic boundaries of the equine femorotibial joints. While descriptions of the visible soft tissues of the femorotibial joints exist for both arthroscopy and ultrasonography, there are few examples in the literature that discuss in detail the combined findings of these modalities. Objective: To further elucidate the ultrasonographic and arthroscopic boundaries of the normal equine femorotibial joints and improve the understanding of the benefits and limitations of each individual modality. Methods: Simultaneous arthroscopy and ultrasonography were performed in 10 equine cadaver stifles as well as bilateral stifles on a horse that underwent nonre...
Exercise in Thoroughbred yearlings during sales preparation: a cohort study. There is increasing evidence suggesting that early exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses may be beneficial to the development of the musculoskeletal system. At present, information on the exercise programmes and health problems of individual yearlings during a sales preparation is scant. Objective: To describe the exercise and health problems of Thoroughbred yearlings during preparation for sales, and to identify variations in exercise between and within farms. Methods: A prospective cohort study was used to collect exercise and health information from 18 farms across New Zealand. Daily exercise...
Growth and differentiation of primary and passaged equine bronchial epithelial cells under conventional and air-liquid-interface culture conditions. Horses develop recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) that resembles human bronchial asthma. Differentiated primary equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBEC) in culture that closely mimic the airway cells in vivo would be useful to investigate the contribution of bronchial epithelium in inflammation of airway diseases. However, because isolation and characterization of EBEC cultures has been limited, we modified and optimized techniques of generating and culturing EBECs from healthy horses to mimic in vivo conditions. Results: Large numbers of EBEC were obtained by trypsin digestion and successfull...
Effects of soaking on the water-soluble carbohydrate and crude protein content of hay. The aim of this study was to determine the amounts of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), WSC constituents and protein leached from a range of U.K. hays soaked according to common practice. Initial hay WSC content ranged from 123 to 230 g/kg dry matter (DM). Soaking the hays for up to 16 hours in water at a mean temperature of 8°C resulted in a mean loss of 27 per cent (range 6 to 54 per cent) of hay WSC. The mean percentage losses of WSC constituents were 24 per cent (range 14 to 31) for fructan, 41 per cent (range 21 to 70) for fructose, 45 per cent (range 28 to 100) for sucrose and 56 per ce...
Size-sieved subpopulations of mesenchymal stem cells from intervascular and perivascular equine umbilical cord matrix. Umbilical cord matrix (UCM) has been recently proposed as an alternative source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize presumptive stem cells from intervascular and perivascular equine UCM and to obtain homogeneous subpopulations from both sites. Methods: Umbilical cords were processed for retrieval of MSCs. Unsieved cells from intervascular and perivascular portions were evaluated for cell cycle analysis and for immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. Cells from each site were separated into larger and smaller sieved populations using multi-dishes...
The role of working equines to livelihoods in current day campesino hill-slope communities in central Mexico. Small-holder campesino agriculture is based on the diversified use of resources and off-farm work. Working equines have a multifunctional character and sustain the diversification of livelihoods having different values as assets or providing services. The objective was to identify the role of working equines in current diversification strategies in the livelihoods of campesino families in a hill-slope community in central Mexico within livelihoods analysis. Thirty-one variables related to ownership and use of working equines were analysed by cluster analysis and descriptive statistics contrast...
Sole depth and weight-bearing characteristics of the palmar surface of the feet of feral horses and domestic Thoroughbreds. To determine solar load-bearing structures in the feet of feral horses and investigate morphological characteristics of the sole in feral horses and domestic Thoroughbreds. Methods: Forelimbs from cadavers of 70 feral horses and 20 domestic Thoroughbreds in Australia. Methods: Left forefeet were obtained from 3 feral horse populations from habitats of soft substrate (SS [n = 10 horses]), hard substrate (HS [10]), and a combination of SS and HS (10) and loaded in vitro. Pressure distribution was measured with a pressure plate. Sole depth was measured at 12 points across the solar plane in feet ...
Characterization of a full-length endogenous beta-retrovirus, EqERV-beta1, in the genome of the horse (Equus caballus). Information on endogenous retroviruses fixed in the horse (Equus caballus) genome is scarce. The recent availability of a draft sequence of the horse genome enables the detection of such integrated viruses by similarity search. Using translated nucleotide fragments from gamma-, beta-, and delta-retroviral genera for initial searches, a full-length beta-retrovirus genome was retrieved from a horse chromosome 5 contig. The provirus, tentatively named EqERV-beta1 (for the first equine endogenous beta-retrovirus), was 10434 nucleotide (nt) in length with the usual retroviral genome structure of 5'...
Evaluation of commercially available assays for the measurement of equine insulin. Determining circulating equine insulin concentrations is becoming increasingly important in equine clinical practice and research. Most available assays are optimized for human medicine, but there is strong equine cross-reactivity because of the highly conserved nature of insulin. To identify an accurate and reliable assay for equine insulin, 6 commercial immunoassays were evaluated for precision, accuracy, and specificity. Only 1 assay initially reached the requisite standard: Mercodia Equine Insulin Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma matrix interferences were identified when t...
Investigation of the incidence and type of injuries associated with high-speed treadmill exercise testing. During the past 20 years, treadmill exercise testing has played an important role in both the study of equine exercise physiology and the investigation of poor athletic performance. However, it has been suggested that some trainers and veterinarians may be reluctant to refer horses for treadmill exercise testing because of fears that horses may be at increased risk of musculoskeletal injury during treadmill exercise. Objective: To investigate the incidence and types of injuries sustained by horses undergoing treadmill exercise. Methods: Data were collated from 9 centres in the UK, France and B...
Alterations in mitochondrial respiratory function in response to endurance training and endurance racing. Limited information exists about the muscle mitochondrial respiratory function changes that occur in horses during an endurance season. Objective: To determine effects of training and racing on muscle oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and electron transport system (ETS) capacities in horses with high resolution respirometry (HRR). Methods: Mitochondrial respiration was measured in microbiopsies taken from the triceps brachii (tb) and gluteus medius (gm) muscles in 8 endurance horses (7 purebred Arabians and 1 crossbred Arabian) before training (T0), after two 10 week training periods (T1, T2)...
Validation and comparison of two methods of measuring lactate in equine plasma. Some methods of lactate (LA) measurement have not been validated appropriately for use in horses. Objective: To validate 2 LA analysers (YSI 2300 Stat Plus and TDx Lactic Acid Assay) for use with equine plasma and to compare plasma [LA] determined by the 2 methods. Methods: Both instruments were evaluated for linearity, parallelism, recovery and precision using serial dilutions of standard LA solutions and equine plasma and then comparing results with linear regression or paired t tests. Plasma [LA] results were compared in 275 blood samples collected from horses exercising at various intensit...
Effects of chronic acetazolamide administration on gas exchange and acid-base control in pulmonary circulation in exercising horses. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) catalyses the hydration/dehydration reaction of CO(2) and increases the rate of Cl(-) and HCO(3)(-) exchange between the erythrocytes and plasma. Therefore, chronic inhibition of CA has a potential to attenuate CO(2) output and induce greater metabolic and respiratory acidosis in exercising horses. Objective: To determine the effects of Carbonic anhydrase inhibition on CO(2) output and ionic exchange between erythrocytes and plasma and their influence on acid-base balance in the pulmonary circulation (across the lung) in exercising horses with and without CA inhibition....
Heel effects on joint contact force components in the equine digit: a sensitivity analysis. Whereas the effect of heel configuration on the tension of the suspensory apparatus is well documented in the literature, there are few reports of joint contact force components in the equine distal forelimb. Objective: To improve understanding of the effect of heel configuration on equine digit joint loading, a sensitivity analysis was performed to compare the effect of a raised heel on joint contact force components in the coffin and fetlock joints during the stance phase of the trot. Methods: Four Warmblood horses were used. An inverse dynamic analysis was carried out using kinematic and ki...
The effect of exercise regimens on racing performance in National Hunt racehorses. A previous study has identified exercise undertaken during training to be associated with racing performance in flat racehorses. However, no such studies have been conducted in National Hunt (NH) horses. Objective: To determine whether exercise undertaken during training is associated with racing performance in NH racehorses. Methods: Data were collected as part of a larger study investigating injury occurrence in NH racehorses. Race records and daily exercise data were obtained from NH racehorses at 14 training yards. Canter, gallop and race distances accumulated in the 30 days preceding a 'c...
Effects of short-term training on thermoregulatory and sweat responses during exercise in hot conditions. There is evidence that extensive training in cool conditions results in improvements to heat dissipation that contribute to successful acclimatisation. In horses, the effects of a less extensive training regimen have not been determined. Objective: This study investigated whether 10 consecutive days of moderate intensity treadmill training in cool conditions would improve thermoregulatory and sweating responses of horses to exercise in the heat. Methods: Six unfit Thoroughbred horses completed a standardised treadmill exercise test (SET) in hot, dry conditions (32-34 °C, 45-55% RH) before (SE...
Moderate and high intensity sprint exercise induce differential responses in COX4I2 and PDK4 gene expression in Thoroughbred horse skeletal muscle. The role of molecular signalling pathways in the phenotypic adaptation of skeletal muscle to different exercise stimuli in the Thoroughbred horse has not been reported previously. Objective: To examine CKM, COX4I1, COX4I2 and PDK4 gene expression following high intensity sprint and moderate intensity treadmill exercise stimuli in skeletal muscle of Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Two groups of trained 3-year-old Thoroughbred horses participated. Group A (n = 6 females, n = 3 males) participated in an incremental step test (moderate intensity) to fatigue or HR(max) on a Sato high speed treadmill ...
The effect of water height on stride frequency, stride length and heart rate during water treadmill exercise. Water treadmill exercise is often incorporated into rehabilitation programmes for horses yet little is known about the biomechanical and physiological responses to water walking. Objective: To establish whether stride frequency (SF) reached steady state as a result of 6 introductory water treadmill sessions and then to investigate the effect of increasing water height on SF, stride length (SL) and heart rate (HR). Methods: Nine horses with no previous experience of water treadmills completed 6 sessions of walking for between 15 and 30 min. Each horse was fitted with a leg mounted accelerometer...
Fifty years of the British Equine Veterinary Association as a facilitator of progress in equine clinical science. The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) was established in 1961 and launched the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) in 1968. This review outlines some of the major advances in equine science and practice that have occurred in that time and the role played by the Journal in facilitating those developments.
Comparison of net anaerobic energy utilisation estimated by plasma lactate accumulation rate and accumulated oxygen deficit in Thoroughbred horses. Accumulated O(2) deficit (AOD) and plasma lactate accumulation rate (PLAR) are alternative methods for estimating net anaerobic energy utilisation (NAEU) in exercising horses. How they compare or their accuracy is unknown. Objective: We hypothesised net anaerobic energy utilisation calculated by PLAR (NAUE(PLAR)) is equivalent to NAUE estimated by AOD (NAUE(AOD)). Methods: Six Thoroughbred horses ran at identical supramaximal speeds (118% aerobic capacity) until exhaustion for 2 runs while breathing normoxic (NO, 21% O(2)) or hyperoxic (HO, 26% O(2)) gas. Jugular blood was sampled at 15 s inte...
Effects of training on equine muscle fibres and monocarboxylate transporters in young Coldblooded Trotters. Muscular changes caused by training are breed-specific and studies on the Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotter (NSCT) are limited. Knowledge about lactate-transporters in muscle in this light draught breed used for harness racing is lacking. Objective: To identify muscular changes associated with training in young NSCTs and investigate muscular distribution of the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) and its ancillary protein CD147, which facilitate lactate transport across membranes. Methods: Nine horses were followed from the start of their training period until the end of their 3-year-old ...
The association of various speed indices to training responses in Thoroughbred flat racehorses measured with a global positioning and heart rate monitoring system. Fitness assessment can be challenging. The use of global positioning systems (GPS) with heart rate (HR) monitors has been promising; however, evaluation of speed parameters during training has not been reported. Objective: To evaluate speed indices during training in Thoroughbreds using a GPS-HR monitor. Methods: Thoroughbreds (n = 102) were assessed during training with data collected each work day (WD; sprinting). Speed indices evaluated included maximal velocity (V(max)), duration at V(max) (V(maxt)), acceleration rate (m/s(2)) from 800 m to V(max) (Acc800-V(max)), the distance (m) 6 (V(max...
Heel movement in horses: comparison between glued and nailed horse shoes at different speeds. It has been suggested that the heel of the horse's hoof expands in the stance phase and this reduces the concussion at impact and helps pump blood into the hoof. Therefore, farriers usually leave a gap in the heel region when using the traditional nailed shoe. Recently glued shoes which are attached firmly to the heel have been developed and these could restrict heel movement. Objective: To compare the degree of mediolateral heel movement between glued and nailed shoes. Methods: Seven Thoroughbreds were used. Either their fore- or hind hooves were shod with plain aluminium shoes, attached firs...
Effects of crude protein intake from forage-only diets on muscle amino acids and glycogen levels in horses in training. There is little information about the influence of crude protein (CP) intake on glycogen and free pool amino acid concentrations in the muscle of horses in training. High energy forage-only diets may be an alternative to concentrate rich diets and may provide high levels of CP. Objective: To study the effect of feeding 2 forage-only diets, containing either high or moderate CP concentrations on glycogen and free pool amino acid concentrations in the muscle. Methods: Two high energy forage-only diets based on high-energy grass forage were fed for 23 days in a crossover design to 6 Standardbred ...
Sweat composition in Arabian horses performing endurance exercise on forage-based, low Na rations. Excessive sweat loss during endurance exercise may lead to electrolyte disturbances and previous research suggests dietary factors may affect hydration status. While investigating the effect of dietary fibre type on hydration status, sweat samples were collected which allowed for the evaluation of sweat composition in horses consuming forage-based, low sodium (Na) rations. Objective: To investigate sweat composition in Arabian horses performing endurance type exercise while fed forage-based, rations low in Na. Methods: Six 2-year-old Arabian horses were fed, according to a replicated 3 × 3 La...
Oxygen consumption and gait variables of Arabian endurance horses measured during a field exercise test. Arabian horses have morphological, muscular and metabolic features designed for endurance races. Their gas exchange and gait variables were therefore measured during a field exercise test. This study presents original respiratory and locomotor data recorded in endurance horses under field conditions. Objective: Respiratory gas exchange ratio (RER) of Arabian horses at the speed required to win endurance races (18 km/h for 120-160 km) are <1 and running economy (RE) is also low in order to maintain exercise intensity using aerobic metabolism for long intervals. The purpose of this study was ...
Influence of shoes with different weights on the motion of the limbs in Icelandic horses during toelt at different speeds. Weight boots are commonly used for Icelandic horses to increase the height of the flight arc of the forelimbs in toelt. Objective: To show the influence of weights and toelting speed on the height of the swing phase. Methods: Eight Icelandic horses (mean ± s.d. 12 ± 3 years old, 369 ± 46 kg) were used. Reflecting makers were placed on the dorsal side of each hoof. The motion was collected with a kinematic system (10 cameras, 120 Hz sample rate, 1.3 Mpixels resolution). The horses were ridden in toelt by 2 experienced riders on a treadmill at 2 different speeds (2.96 m/s ± 0.30 and 4.10 m/s...
